I Received System to Become Dragonborn

A collective breath escaped their mouths as the last of the golems finally fell, crumbling to the ground like lifeless old stones. No longer a threat.

"Phew…" Hund exhaled and patted the dust and grime from his body. A grin spread across his face, just like it always did when they finished off a decently strong enemy. "We did it!"

Jan slid the arrow he had nocked—but never released—back into his quiver. "Good work, everyone."

Esther finally slumped onto the ground, her staff resting beside her. She didn't bother saying anything, just stared blankly at the scattered stones a few meters ahead. It had been a tough fight, even if it had only lasted a few minutes.

Annette walked over to her and immediately began checking Esther's body. Once she confirmed there were no wounds, she quickly moved on to check the others. She already knew Hund had taken the worst of the injuries.

Hund and Annette gathered near Esther, and Annette immediately began treating Hund with her healing Magic.

Jan still looked fine in Annette's eyes. He didn't even sit down—he went straight to examine the crumbling remains of the golems.

He reached one of the lifeless piles, now stripped of any danger. Narrowing his eyes, he frowned. These stones had clearly been buried for a long time, judging by their weathered surface. So what had brought them back to life?

"Was it because of that black smoke from earlier?" Jan wondered. "Wait… if that's the case, is it really safe to stay here?"

He turned to the others and spoke in a serious tone. "I don't think resting here is safe."

Hund, Esther, and Annette exchanged looks.

"Ugh, do we really have to move now?" Esther asked, her voice laced with frustration.

Jan nodded. "We're still within the grounds of that temple. Don't forget the black smoke."

He picked up what looked like a shard of glass and a small piece of stone, slipping them into his pack before walking over to the group. He crouched in front of Esther with back facing her. "I don't know what that thing was, but I'm pretty sure it's what reawakened those long-dormant golems. Get on my back."

Without hesitation, Esther climbed onto Jan's back. She could still walk, technically—but she was worn out from unleashing such powerful magic earlier. If she had to, she could run. But if someone was offering a ride, why refuse?

After that, the party quickly left the area around the old, mysterious temple. Jan kept glancing over his shoulder, again and again, to make sure nothing was following them.

Even with his sharp instincts, Jan wasn't willing to let his guard down. Whatever that creature or force was, it might be able to slip past his senses. He wasn't going to take any chances.

After they had traveled a fair distance—finally emerging from the quiet, suffocating forest—Jan signaled for a stop. He gently set Esther down, and the witch immediately collapsed back onto the ground.

The party sat down in a loose circle and began pulling out rations to regain their strength. Annette resumed treating Hund's wounds.

"I think we're safe now… maybe," Jan said, with deliberate caution.

"What was that thing earlier?" Hund asked. "I know none of us recognize the black smoke. But what about the golems?"

Jan pulled the stone shard from his pack and held it up for the others to see. They all stared at it, their brows furrowed in concern.

The old stone shard in Jan's hand strangely still shimmered faintly under the light filtering through the canopy. He turned it over between his fingers, then looked up at the others.

"This stone looks ancient. Probably as old as the temple itself," Jan said. "So I think… the golems were indeed reawakened after something inside the temple stirred. Something old. Something that wasn't meant to be touched."

They exchanged looks again, the same unsettled glance passing from face to face. Hund let out a frustrated grumble as he dusted his knee.

"What is that temple anyway?" he muttered. "I see no recognizable sign, no runes, or anyhing. And I've never even heard of a temple this far north. That shouldn't be possible. If it's really that old and still standing strong, there should've been records. Or stories, or something."

The others were thinking the same thing. That much was obvious from the silence that followed. It wasn't just confusion, it was discomfort. As if some piece of the world they thought they understood had just cracked.

Annette, still kneeling beside Hund, pulled her hand away from his now-healed wound and looked at the others, worry etched plainly across her face. "We need to report this to the Adventurers' Guild, maybe even the Kingdom itself."

Jan turned to her, brows drawn. "You know something?" he asked, voice steady.

Annette shook her head slowly.

"No… but…" She looked down, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. "It just feels wrong. Don't you feel it too? Like something bigger is going on. Something we shouldn't walk away from without warning someone."

Jan's eyes lingered on her, then shifted to the forest beyond. He gave a single nod. "Yeah. I feel it."

They sat quietly for a moment, the only sound coming from rustling leaves and the occasional creak of shifting armor or leather.

The calm was uneasy, like the world had simply paused for breath.

Jan glanced at the shard again. In his hand, it felt heavier than normal stone.

After replenishing their strength with food and drink, the four adventurers quickly decided to continue their journey. Staying in the forest for too long wasn't a good idea at this point.

The number of monsters in the area had increased drastically. They were lucky not to have encountered a single one so far.

They moved carefully and as silently as possible, following Jan's lead. Hund, still recovering from his injuries, and Esther, not yet fully back to her normal state, couldn't move as swiftly as before.

They chose to avoid any monsters they spotted along the way. After about an hour, both Hund and Esther had mostly recovered, and they were able to pick up the pace again.

When they finally left the forest, a wave of relief washed over them.

But just then, the sound of direwolves howling echoed through the trees—despite it not even being night yet.

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